A place to connect and share things learned in this journey through life.

Monthly Archives: March 2010

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Star wand

Springtime has arrived where I live!!! Everything is in bloom, which is evident on my car as it now looks slightly green, instead of black:~)

The other day I ventured out into my garden to do some weeding. I was absolutely stunned to see that my Daylily flower plant had adopted a star wand.

Yes. You heard right. Growing peacefully from the Daylily was this lovely little star wand. Now, in case you don’t know this, star wands are known for their magical abilities.

They work best for children simply because children still believe in magic. Evidently, that’s very important for a star wand. If you don’t believe in her powers, she’s unable to use them.

In short, it takes two to make her magic. She has the potential resting inside her like a seed, but it only blooms into magic if one believes.

I think we should see if little star wants work, don’t you?

Your challenge

Today’s challenge is also a gift. You get to help this newly born star wand become a full fledged magic wand. In return, she will grant you your wish.

You have this power; it is deep inside your soul and you must reach for it. There are some rules, however that must be followed:

1. You must believe in magic and the powers of the Universe to answer your request. If you don’t believe, there is nothing you can do for the star wand or she for you.

2. You must say the following words to her three times in a row – this is very important. If you get interrupted while saying these words, you must start over.

Oh, lovely star wand of one
Basking in the spring sun,
I respectfully ask of thee
Grant this special wish for me.

Don’t be shy; say the words nice and loud so she can hear you! Come on….you can do it…say it a little louder:~)

I have been told by the spring fairies that doing this will grant the star wand her powers and, in turn, she will grant your wish:~)

Your comments

While you don’t have to share your wish — that’s between you and the star wand, here are some things you can share in your comments.

Share your feelings about magic and whether or not, you believe wishes can come true.

Share a time when you made a wish and it came true.

How do you feel about the belief that the Universe will answer our request or wishes if we believe?

May all your wishes come true:~)

The small print:~)This site does not guarantee your wish will be granted. Belief is difficult to measure and varies from person to person. It is known that the more you trust in your own belief, the more likely the star wand will grant your wish. However, truth in advertising requires us to mention that some star wands are persnickety and their wish granting takes a bit longer. Be patient:~).

Beyond what you believe

Fairness is important to me and even as a young child, it was a strong value. I appreciate this value because it encourages my awareness of injustice. However, I also see it as a double-edged sword, and here’s why.

Taking action against injustice brings about change in the world. People see an injustice, join together to change it and oftentimes succeed. On the other hand, sometimes taking action can have undesirable consequences.

There are times when things are unfair, but you can’t always change the situation, at least not right way. For a person with a strong value of fairness, this can cause internal conflict.

Here’s an example: In my last year of college, the program head did something that was grossly unfair to most of the graduating students. When we met with her about this problem, she told us that the policy would not be changed and if we persisted, we might not graduate.

I was furious. How dare this woman subject us to an unfair policy and have the audacity to squash our rights to object to it. After the others left, I stayed to argue the point and was almost booted out of the program. The policy was never changed.

It wasn’t that I was wrong. I just didn’t have the power to override this decision and the consequences were major for me and my fellow students. I started to fight without thinking about what might happen.

Be prepared when taking action

If fairness is a strong value for you, what can you do when faced with something that feels unfair?

I suggest that before you leap into battle with your sword raised, make sure you’re prepared. Take time to assess your feelings about the situation by considering the following:

Is this worth going to battle over?Those of us with a high degree of fairness often leap before we think. Any injustice seems worth a fight, but is it? I think it might be wise to look at the situation and ask what makes it worth taking action.

Let me give you another example. I believe it’s unfair when drivers do not yield where two lanes merge into one. Instead, these people increase their speed and force their way into traffic without regard for the other drivers. This is both unsafe and illegal.

I immediately want to do something about what I see as an injustice. However, if I stop and consider the situation, I realize I can choose how I respond. I can decide whether or not this is a battle I want to fight. It’s important to make a conscious decision about fighting an injustice.

Be prepared for the consequences. If you decide an injustice is worth taking action, consider the consequences.

What could happen if you do take action?
Who will oppose you and are you willing to fight them?
Is the action dangerous to you or others?

Being aware of the consequences will help you make an informed decision. Using my “yield” example again, if I react with anger, I could cause an accident.

I might be legally right, but I could injure myself and other drivers. Taking action against injustice has consequences that deserve respect.

Consider all your options before you take action. Not all injustices require war – sometimes diplomacy is the best strategy. Before acting, consider other, less abrupt actions to put a stop to the injustice.

Again using the driving example, other options might be seeking police assistance, writing a letter to the local newspaper, or joining a group with similar concerns to lobby against aggressive driving. Knowing your options may prevent the need for a fight and still end the injustice.

Life isn’t always fair

There’s a lot of power to enforcing your belief in fairness. It enables people to do heroic things, like the man who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square in China. He’s famous now as the Tank Man. We all think of the amazing courage he showed by taking that action. Then again, what would the story have been if the tank had not stopped?

There’s a reason for the saying “Life isn’t fair.” Learning how to deal effectively with unfairness without fighting, may show more courage than rushing to fight:~)

What about you?

How do you deal with injustice in your life?

Have you ever gotten into trouble for fighting an injustice? If so, what happened?

What recommendations would give readers about handling unfair situations or an injustice?

I love to dance, but I didn’t always love it. I never took ballet, but I did take ballroom dancing when I was a kid. I still lived in the age when girls and boys were regularly taught ballroom dancing.

For me, this “dance training” happened in the seventh grade, a time when I was still a gawky teenager, waiting to grow into her body. Dancing wasn’t my favorite sport, to say the least!

Dance nightmare

My dance nightmare began after we had learned the basics of a dance. Then it was time for practice!

The boys and girls were separated with the girls on one side of the room and the boys on the other side, facing us across the dance floor.

When the music started, the boys came across our teenage divide and had to pick a girl to dance with. Of course, there were never enough boys for the number of girls.

The left over girls ended up with the assistant instructors. All too often, I was one of these girls. Later, I would appreciate this because I learned to dance with men who both loved their job and didn’t step on my toes:~)

Favorite dance

I hated dancing during this time, with the exception of one dance, the waltz. This dance made me forget I was not the one chosen.

There is something about the grace and beauty of dancing a waltz. Even in my awkward body, I could flow when I danced the waltz.

Recently, JC and I decided to take ballroom dancing lessons. This means I get to waltz again and waltzing with JC makes this dance even more magical.

I pretend we are Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, even though we still look at our feet and count aloud the waltz tempo of “one, two, three” to stay on track:~)

Flower dance

I picked the above picture of a Camilla from my garden because it reminds me of a woman waltzing.

The flowers petals are her long pink and white dress with petticoats. I see them swept up by the sway of a waltz step as she moves gracefully across the floor. It makes me sigh.

Your challenge

Your picture challenge today is to think about dancing, music and flowers and what they mean to you. Then choose and answer one or more of the following questions in the comment box:

1. What is your favorite memory about dancing? Remember it can funny, happy or even embarrassing. Share what you want to share.

2. What type of music makes you want to dance the most? Feel free to list a band’s name if you have one that makes you “shake your stuff!”

3. What is your favorite flower and why? You are welcome to include a link with your comment to a picture of the flower you love!

As usual, as fun, be creative and enjoy!

before
he carved out the universe and its never-ending galaxies,
spinning and still.

before
he made the eternal paradox,
dark and light

before
he began to create his masterpiece,
perfect and flawed

he stopped.
and looked at all the pieces around him,
complete and unfinished

he breathed
and his heart opened, giving birth to the first emotion, love,
full and ripe

he sighed
as love planted itself deep in his creation,
infinite and perpetuating.

poetry by sara b. healy

Note: This is an older poem of mine. Forgive the gender preference as a poem doesn’t read so well with the pronouns “she/he” or “it.” I am a believer that whatever higher power exists, it does not need a gender affiliation:~)

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